Mr Dayo Aiyetan, Executive Director, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) has enjoined journalists to utilize the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act to improve on their reportage.

Aiyetan said this in Abuja on Wednesday at a one-day workshop on the use of Freedom of Information Act in Nigeria.

 

According to Aiyetan, FOI Act is a strong investigative journalism tool to help journalists write their reports effectively by requesting for information from relevant organizations and individuals.

 

He charged journalists to lead the enforcement of the FOI law and not leave it for the Civil Society Organisations alone.

 

“FOIA is a strong investigative journalism tool to help our report. It makes for open and transparent governance. It helps reduce abuse of office, abuse of power and corruption in the public space.

 

“In a representative government, it provides the citizens with information upon which decisions can be made,” he said.

 

Aiyetan charged government officials, the media and CSOs to work together towards achieving good governance in the country.

 

He also called on the Federal Ministry of Justice to support Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to develop templates that would facilitate prompt response to FOI inquiries.

 

He also commended the U.S. embassy for its support in organising the workshop

 

Mr Gowon Ichibor, Head, FOI Unit, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation said the seven day-ultimatum for response to FOI request was a challenge which needed to be revisited.

 

He said the processes of getting response from the public service was usually cumbersome hence the seven days might not be adequate, adding that in reality, not all information could be divulged.

 

“Section 11 through 19 (excluding section 13) of the FOIA 2011 outline a number of specific exemptions to the right of access established by this legislation.

 

“These exceptions are intended to protect records and information relating to a particular public or private interest.

 

“While FOI Act established everyone’s right to access records and information in the custody of public institutions, it recognised the fact that some classes of public records and information are not for public consumption.

 

“This is for the general good and our collective wellbeing,” he said.

 

Also speaking, the Editor-in-Chief/Chief Operating Officer at Premium Times Nigeria, Mr Mojeed Musikilu, said the media was still underutilising the Act.

 

Musikilu, who spoke on “X-raying factors hindering successful implementation of FOIA,” said that lack of structures and competency for compliance by MDAs deterred journalists from using the FOI Act.

 

“Many agencies do not even bother to make proactive disclosure expected by the Act and there are no consequences for non-compliance.

 

“The Attorney General of the Federation needs to enforce sanctions to make organisatios comply with FOI requests” he said.

 

He, therefore, said there was need to identify, recognise and promote those organisations that have proactively disclosed information and shame those who are not hoarding information.

 

The theme of the symposium is, “Ten years of FOI Act: Mitigating Challenges Preventing Full Implementation of the Act in Nigeria.”

 

The FOI Act was signed into law by the former President Goodluck Jonathan on May 28, 2011.